- Serves 12 – Ready in 3 hours (includes 2 hours in the fridge) -
This recipe uses up leftover festive mincemeat, it is an ideal dessert for a New Year's Eve gathering.
Gather together for the base...
110g unsalted butter, melted (plus a little extra butter for greasing the tin).
250g ginger nut biscuits (you will need to buy 1 or 2 packets), whizzed to crumbs in a food processor or crushed up well in a bag – if using the bag method, I use a recently-washed re-usable cloth shopping bag instead of a plastic bag ( OR to avoid PALM OIL, use 250g of 'Mcvities Digestives Light' plus 1 tsp of ground ginger.)
2 tbsp brown sugar.
1 tsp salt.
Gather together for the topping...
200g (1/2 a standard jar) mincemeat.
Zest of 1 orange (or use the zest from 2 satsumas).
500g (i.e. two tubs) mascarpone, this *MUST* have a high fat content, over 43%, or it will split and go runny. Tesco full-fat mascarpone certainly used to have a fat content of 44g per 100g and has worked well for me in the past - but please check as suppliers do change.
175g brown sugar.
300ml pot double cream / whipping cream (NOT Elmlea as it doesn’t whip!)
2 tbsp icing sugar (sieved).
1 tsp vanilla extract (the Taylor & Colledge brand is fairtrade certified / the Dr Oetker brand is alcohol free).
Gather together for the decoration...
1 – 2 mince pies, crumbled up on top of the cheesecake (optional).
Get making the base...
1. Melt the 110g of butter gently in a pan, on the hob.
2. Meanwhile line the base of a 20cm – 23cm (8 or 9 inch) circular spring-form tin (MUST be a loose-bottomed springform tin or the finished cheesecake will never come out!) with a greaseproof paper circle or, (better still) with a reusable cut-to-size silicone liner from Lakeland.
3. Grease the base and sides well with butter.
4. Once the butter in the saucepan has melted, remove the pan from the heat and to it add the remainder of the biscuit-base ingredients; the 250g of crushed ginger nut biscuits (whizzed up in a food processor for approx. 30 seconds, or crushed in a bag with a rolling pin), the 2 tbsp of brown sugar and the 1 tsp of salt. Stir well with a wooden spoon to coat the crumbs in melted butter.
5. Press the biscuit-base mixture into the lined and greased spring-form circular (8- or 9-inch) cake tin, spreading the mixture in an even layer to the edges. Press down evenly with a wooden spoon (or even better, a potato masher).
6. Chill the base in the fridge whilst you make the topping.
Get making the topping...
7. Meanwhile, whizz up the 200g of Christmas mincemeat and the orange zest (from 1 orange) using a stick blender until it is an almost-smooth purée, this will take about 30 seconds.
8. ***At this point check that your mascarpone has a HIGH enough fat content, over 43% (i.e. over 43g per 100g) or else it will split and go runny when you try and make the cheesecake topping. Tesco full-fat mascarpone certainly used to have a fat content of 44g per 100g and worked well*** If not, go out and buy some.
9. Using a metal spoon, gently mix the 500g of full-fat mascarpone with the 175g of brown sugar and the 200g of whizzed-up mincemeat puree, for about 1 minute, until smooth. Set this mascarpone mixture aside.
10. In a separate bowl (ideally your mixer bowl) whip the 300ml of double cream, the 2 tbsp of SIEVED icing sugar and the 1 tsp of vanilla extract, until the mixture stands up in firm peaks. This will take 1-2 minutes with an effective electric whisk attachment or a lot longer with a hand whisk!
11. Fold the whipped cream mixture into the mascarpone mixture, do this gently (with a metal spoon) but also thoroughly, so the air remains but so that everything is completely mixed together.
12. Remove the biscuit base from the fridge.
13. Spread the cheesecake-filling mixture over the biscuit base and smooth the top with the back of a metal spoon. For a really smooth finish, hold the spoon carefully in the steam from the spout of a boiling kettle and smooth the hot spoon over the surface of the cheesecake.
14. Put the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving (or make it the day before and leave it overnight).
15. Before serving, crumble 1 – 2 mince pies on top of the cheesecake for decoration (optional).
16. To get the cheesecake out of the tin - use a table-knife to prod down the side of the cheesecake, all the way round the tin – the knife marks (if made fairly evenly) leave a pretty pattern around the edge of the cheesecake (see photo). Then release the cheesecake from the tin by opening the spring-form clip and serve.
27. Due to the mascarpone in it, this cheesecake needs to be eaten up within 3 days (and refrigerated during this time, obviously). This shouldn't be a problem as it is delicious!
28. If eating it all does beat your appetite, you can freeze sliced-up portions of freshly-made cheesecake (they will keep in the freezer for up to a month). Allow the frozen portions to defrost a bit at room temperature (for circa 30 minutes) before serving. Any defrosted cheesecake portions should be then eaten immediately, not re-stored, which is common-sense food safety.
Inspired by two recipes, a Catherine Fulvio one and a BBC Good Food one. Thanks to E and the wall calendar for sparking the initial idea...